Posture Control of Hand Using Multi-balloon Actuator

Abstract:
The digital mirror box is an original hand-rehabilitation device made by the authors whereby image processing and information technology is applied to a traditional mirror-box therapeutic device for post-stroke disorders. The digital mirror box requires some voluntary movement of the trainee, and a certain actuation element therefore needs to be applied to patients who suffer severe paralysis. We thus developed a multi-balloon actuator for application in force-stimulus feedback therapy with the digital mirror box. The actuator is made of easily available material, generates a strong force, and is suitable for safe hand rehabilitation. This paper reports the posture control of a hand that cannot open voluntarily by inner pressure control according to the posture of the other hand in an experiment involving a healthy subject. Basic characteristics of the multi-balloon actuator are thus obtained.